How to keep your carpet installation looking great--always

Your floor might be the biggest investment you’ll ever put into your home, so make it count! Rugs are the number one popular choice, and you want it to look gorgeous for your Houston home for a long time.

Carpet Giant says when shopping don’t skimp on these things:

●Padding. When people walk into our store, they tend to focus only on the carpet. While that is a main concern, don’t forget about the padding. Just like the asphalt on a road, the padding is the foundation, and it is what holds it up.

You have to think about density, durability and thickness; and don’t be fooled into thinking that thicker is better, because it depends upon the type of rug you choose. For instance, a low pile may require a thinner padding, as opposed to a high pile.

By the way, make sure you check your warranty, because there can be some requirements. Those offers of “free padding” could possibly void it, if it doesn’t meet those guidelines.

●Lifestyle information. Our carpet pros tell us it can drive them crazy when someone forgets an important piece of lifestyle information during the sales process. Details, such as whether the customer has kids, pets, or residents with walkers or wheelchairs; the room in which it’s to be installed, foot traffic and use, all affect the type that should be chosen.

Another thing is the overall style of your house. Of course not every room has to look completely alike, but there does need to be some coordination because of the transitions. Also, just because you don’t see your desired carpet, doesn’t necessarily mean we don’t have it. It can be in our warehouse.

●Budget particulars. We know it’s never comfortable talking about money, but it’s important to know this; don’t just look at the initial purchase price, but also factor in additions like installation and padding.

●Professional installation. This requires special tools and skills, and there might even be some sub-floor repair required. No room is a perfect square, either, because you have baseboards and moldings with which to contend. If it’s not done well, you’ll end up with bumps, rolls, wrinkles and more, and if it’s not installed to the manufacturer specifications, that can also void your warranty.

Feel free to come into the Carpet Giant showroom in Houston for more information.